Price-tag.



F. KOHNLE.

PRlCE TAG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1917.

1,272,057; Patented July 9, 1918..

FREDERICK KOHNLE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE MONARCH TAG COMPANY,

PRICE-TAG.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed November 12, 1917. Serial No. 201,435.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK KOHNLE, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Price-Tags, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

The invention relates to a fastening de* vice, particularly as a price tag fastener formed of wire.

- An object of the invention is to provide a tag fastener of a wire bent into plural ply and formedto be permanently fastened to the tag with no sharp points or ends exposed or protruding which might injure the material to be tagged or scratch the hands or the surface which may be-engaged thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire staple tag fastener having plural ply prongs, each formed of a portion of wire bent upon itself to form a round pin end and a plural ply yoke or head portion comprising a plural number of members pressed together side by side and engaged with the tag to rigidly anchor the fastener and hold the prongs in an alined position at right angles or perpendicular to the plane of the tag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire tag fastener having prongs which penetrate the material to be tagged, adapted to be interlockingly engaged and clenched upon'the goods. and in which the ends of the wire of the fastener lie on the underside of the tag. o

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in thefollowing specification and description of the drawings, forming a part hereof, and in the drawingsilikecharacters of; reference denote "corresponding "parts throughout the severalviews, of which "Figure his a plan viewof the face side of a pin ticket orprice. tag containmg my improved fastening device.

ig. 2is an end edge. v1

fastening shown in I Flg. 1.

Fig. 3 isan enlarged section taken on line 33,.Fig..1. t

Fig. 4 is a perspectlve vlew of the fastener.

Fig. 5 1s a plan 'viewof the tagofthe side op osite to that shown in Fig.1.

.ig, 6 is a view showinga step of inter ew of the tag and lockingly clenched rongs of the fastener on the reversed side 0 the ticketed material.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a tag fastened to the goods.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a tag and fastener, the'fastener being of modified construction of the type shown in the other figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a cardboard price tag, which at its upper edge contains my improved fastener rigidly clenched to the tag, so that its prongs, which penetrate the material or goods to be ticketed, project perpendicularly to the plane 7 of the tag.

The fastener is made from a single length of wire bent to form a plural ply staple, which is rigidly clenched to the tag to pro- ]ect its prongs in a position upright or perpendicular to the plane of the tag. This is essential, so that the tag can be easily and conveniently fastened to the goods, and also to maintain an alinement between the fastener prongs of a series of tags unitarily combined in a gang strip, possessing the characteristics of the tag strip disclosed in a prior patent issued to me March 2, 1915, numbered 1,130,614, adaptable for use in price marking and tag applyin" machines.

The process of forming a sing e length of wire into a fastener, securing and clenching it to the tag, possesses developments herein regarded as distinct and separate from the finished product as an article of commerce. Therefor the description will'be confined to the product. and its method of application to the goods to be tagged. The fastener when bent to form and clenched to the tag represents a staple, having a plural ply yoke portion 2, preferably comprising three'parallel strands pressed together and extending crosswise of the tag marginally at the upper edge of the tag. From the yoke portion 2 the strands pass through the tag to the opposite. face of the tag, are then bent to provide portions extending inward for a predetermined length parallel with and from each end ofrthe yoke 2 upon the rear face of thetag to form U-bends 3, which'together with the yoke provides a fastener head. The wire ends 4, 4, respectively come opposite eachother, as strands of the U-bends, with the edge on the rear-face side of the-tag presenting a smooth front tag face devoid of any points or sharp portions to scratch or prick the hands or goods. From the fastener head the strands at points 6, 6, are bent at right angles from the hook or U- bends to form a pair of prongs or shank members of double ply, pressed together at the portions 8, 8, to form rounded ends for enetrating the oods by separating the 1; reads or fibers without injuring the threads or fibers.

In the modified form of fastener, shown in Fig. 8, the prongs or shanks are of double ply, the strands or members pressed together throughout their length, which penetrate the goods and are clenched in a manner similar to the now prevailing practice of fastening the commercial or common single strand staple.

As shown in the other figures of the drawings, each prong is formed with a straight strand or part 7 and a crooked strand or part 7-, separated from its companion part 7, providing an opening to insert the other or second prong of the'staple therethrough for interlocking the prongs in fastening the tag to the goods. This provides a permanent 3 fastening and one in which the tag cannot be pulled from the goods in handling.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate steps in the method of interlocking and clenching the prongs.

After the prongs have been pressed through the goods, one prong is'bent toward the other or second prong, looped or engaged about said second prong and then clenched or bent down upon the rear side of the goods tagged, after which the second prong is bent and clenched in the same direction as the first, interlocking and clenchingthe prongs upon the material, avoiding sharp points or edges. The prongs may be simultaneously clenched after one has been inserted over the other. The head of the fastener being of a plural ply, with the strands pressed together, side-by side, provides an increased bearing engagement with the opposite faces of the tag for rigidly anchoring the head to the tag to hold the prong aloft or in a perpendicular plane to the plane ofthe tag. The fastener, with all of its parts formed Of a plural ply, permits in its manufacture the use .of a smaller gage wire than heretofore used in the making of the present commercial staple or wire fasteners, having increased stability in addition to its other advantages.

The fastener, as above described in detail, may be defined as composed of asingle length-of wire bent to form to comprise a plural-ply head, having crimped opposite endsand. a pair of plural ply prongs diverting: from the ends at right angles to the head.

QThe "penetrating and attaching members as a pair-of parallel pins, each constituting a. doubled." piece of wire presenting a smooth rounded penetrating point and spread apart shank strands for looping one pin to the other, necessarily need not be made from a single piece of wireand within the aspect of this invention may represent separate pin members independently secured to the tag to project from one side and relatively arranged so that one may be engaged through the other to interlock with each other when crimped'through and upon the goods to be ticketed.

Having described my invention I claim 1. A tag fastener composed of a single length of wire bent into plural ply and formed to comprise a yoke head portion having crimped ends, adapted to engage through a tag and be clenched upon opposite side of the tag, and a pair .of prongs diverting from the crimped ends of the head in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the head, each prong having arounded pin end. 2. A tag fastener composed of a single length of wire bent intoplural ply and formed to comprise a yoke: head portion crimped at each end to provide hooks arranged to engage through and upon the opposite face of a tag, the ends of the wire respectively forming a ply of the hooksand engaging the rear side of the tag, and a pair of prongs diverting from the ends of the the hooks at right angles to the plane of the headhaving rounded'pin ends. 3. A tag fastener comprising a length of wire with a pair of pin portions each with a rounded end, adapted to be inserted in the material to be tagged, and anintegral plural ply-yoke portion of hook formation at each end, the hooks including the free ends of the wire, and said free ends of the wire arranged to engage with the rear side of the mg. v

portion separated from each other between the said rounded end .and head-Ito provide an opening for interlookingly; engaging one pin portion with the other.

4:. A tag fastener comprising a .pieceaof 5. A tag fastener comprising apiece-of wire 'bent upon itself into plural ply and bent to form ahead portion and-pair of prongs, each prong composed of a' portion ofthe wire bent uponitself to compose two members and a rounded prong 'end yand' the members separated from each otherinten mediate the rounded Joining end and head,

adapting the prongs to bewinterilofckingly engaged one with the other -and-..c'len ched upon the material to be tagged.

6'. A pin ticket comprisingacard and a penetrating and: attaching: member constitute ing a single pi'ece -of wire bent upon-itself to present a pair of double ply penetrating pins with smooth rounded points, and a plural ply head connecting the pins consisting of a straight intermediate portion and crimped bends at the opposite ends of the straight portion, each crimp bend engaging through the card and clenched upon the opposite sides thereof.

-7. A pin ticket comprising a card and penetrating and attaching member constituted of a single piece of wire passed through and clamped by bends therein to the card, and presenting a pair of pins projecting from one side of the card, the wire in the pin portions being continuous and doubled to present smooth rounded penetrating points, and spread apart shank strands for looping one pin through the other.

8. A pin ticket comprising a card and penetrating and attaching members comprising a pair of pins fixed to and projecting from one side of the card and parallel to each other, each pin constituting'a doubled piece of wire to present a smooth, rounded, penetrating point and spread apart shank strands for looping one pin through the other.

9. A pin ticket comprising a card and penetrating and attaching members, said members comprising a pair of pins fixed to and projecting from one side of the card and disposed to be interlooped one with another, each pin constituting a doubled piece of wire to present a smooth, rounded penetrating point and one thereof having its shank strands spread apart for engaging the other therethrough.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK KOHNLE. Witnesses:

MILDRED SMITH, L. A. BEcK.

copies of this pat ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

